Reds pitcher Hunter Greene overcame adversity and rallied for his best start of the season

Hunter Greene has received his fair share of criticism for his performances this season, and rightfully so. The right-hander struggled during his first two starts and entered Wednesday's game with something to prove.

Greene hadn't made it out of the fifth inning during his previous two starts. The flamethrower was yanked from his Opening Day start after just 3.1 innings of work, and last week's outing against the Philadelphia Phillies saw Greene go just 4.2 innings.

But on Wednesday night, despite his struggles in the second inning, Greene rallied and put forth his best performance of the season. What Cincinnati Reds fans saw from Greene against the Atlanta Braves is the version they hope to see going forward in 2023.

Reds RHP Hunter Greene rallied for his best start of the season.

Hunter Greene allowed just one hit, a double to Ronald Acuña Jr., in the first inning. But the second inning showed why Reds Country is so apprehensive about jumping on the the Greene bandwagon.

To begin the second, Greene allowed a double, followed by a single, and then a hit batsman to load the bases. But, Greene buckled down to dispense of Marcell Ozuna and Sam Hilliard via the strikeout before a bleeder through the infield by Acuña Jr. allowed two runs to score. Greene then struck out Matt Olson to end the inning.

After allowing a single and RBI-double to begin the third inning, Greene righted the ship once again and sat down Ozzie Albies, Eddie Rosario, and pinch hitter Ehire Adrianza. Greene had a flawless fourth, allowed just one hit in the fifth, and then took care of business in the sixth inning.

In all, Hunter Greene went six strong and allowed three runs on seven hits while striking out 10 batters. The biggest stat, however, was the zero walks Greene issued. That, and the fact that he battled early on were the two biggest takeaways from Greene's third start of the season.

There's been plenty of reasons to be overly critical of Greene's sluggish start to the 2023 season. But last night's performance should help calm the waters and re-instill the belief throughout Reds Country that the sky is not falling.